Hauer is a dedicated environmentalist. He fought for the release of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society leader, Paul Watson, who was convicted in 1994 for sinking a Norwegian whaling vessel. Hauer has also established an AIDS awareness organization called the Rutger Hauer Starfish Association.

'The slaughter of whales as a source of food is so outdated. Just because that is what they have always done? Tradition? Come on, now! People are the worst type of animal. One day, during a trip in a canoe, I literally looked straight into the eye of a whale. It is something that every man on Earth should experience. We must not be allowed to destroy these beautiful creatures. The consequences would be enormous. This is how we got around to the theme for Requiem 2019. Sil and I simply had to make something to stop people hunting down these wonderful creatures. I can’t go along with Sea Shepherd during their campaign. It’s better for me to do what I do best, and here it is!'

FFS, Gus, how about you refresh my post that apparently got you so hot and bothered?

IMO, orgs like Sea Shephard, PETA, (the old) Greenpeace do more harm than good in the name of "environmentalism", because they can get so loony and so extreme with their actions and positions sometimes that most people can't relate to them or what they're trying to do and that turns people off to being more responsible with nature.

I'm a bit old-school; we are here to enjoy nature while we can, but we should also be good stewards, to make sure that it's around for the future. Leave wherever you go better than you found it and take only footsteps (and pictures) whenever possible.

"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children." - Ancient Indian proverb

The trouble is, that's exactly what we humans have made it. The number of species is dropping at a rate only seen in previous mass extinction events.

I wish I had the answers to these problems, but I don't and no one may ever have them; the only solution I can think of is for humanity, as a species, to come to an understanding that as we harm nature and the earth, we're putting our own existence in grave peril, and for us to come up with some course of action to mitigate our impact on the environment as much as possible without sending us all back to a pre-Industrial Revolution society (and all of its attending problems and ills).

We have the technology, we have the knowledge, and both are growing all the time; we must do something, but people need to be comfortable enough to get on board with it.

Environmentalists and nationalists held opposing rallies over the issue of Japan’s dolphin and whale hunts in a rare showdown in central Tokyo on Saturday, leading to angry scenes.

About 50 anti-whaling activists gathered at a park in the Shibuya shopping district with banners bearing slogans such as “Stop the cruel dolphin hunt!” while across the street about 30 nationalists shouted “Get out of Japan!”

The nationalists accused the environmentalists of undermining Japanese culture and traditions, saying “environmental terrorists” should be sent to slaughter houses.

Not surprising, really. They think the problem is that they just didn't discourage enough people from the polls. See also: Walker's proposal to abolish Wisconsin's laws allowing election day registration at the polls.

This second is true owing to how badly Japanese "nationalists" are seen by other nations, even nations as far away as the UK. For it was under the banner of that same chauvinistic nationalism that Japan conquered, tortured, and murdered between 1931 and 1945. And though such times are long past, the nations that suffered from Japan's misdeeds do not forget those deeds. The biggest thing Japanese nationalists achieve is to remind other nations of how Japan wronged them and that Japan isn't really sorry for having done so.

Really, every one of us who said the GOP wouldn't learn anything from this past election are being proven right. The GOP is pretty much ignoring the rebuke they've been given by the voters and are pressing ahead with the policies they ran on, whether it be repealing Obamacare, making the Bush Tax Cuts permanent, or hacking away at the social safety net. But why wouldn't they, when their wingnut base is making up all sorts of excuses for why the GOP didn't lose because of its Gilded Age message, but rather because the Democrats are simply "better" at stacking the deck?

Not surprising, really. They think the problem is that they just didn't discourage enough people from the polls. See also: Walker's proposal to abolish Wisconsin's laws allowing election day registration at the polls.

That last I can see as a decent idea. Same day registration seems to me a mistake.

It's better if there is a week or two to run the name through the system, both to make things easier for the election judges and to ensure the person is who they say they are. I'm not talking about some sort of new and intrusive procedure, just normal vetting.

I'd settle for amending the same-day law to allow for the casting of a provisional ballot by those registering same day, since that would allow for the normal vetting. Would that be acceptable to you?

It's better if there is a week or two to run the name through the system, both to make things easier for the election judges and to ensure the person is who they say they are. I'm not talking about some sort of new and intrusive procedure, just normal vetting.

I'd settle for amending the same-day law to allow for the casting of a provisional ballot by those registering same day, since that would allow for the normal vetting. Would that be acceptable to you?

Is this all just hypothetical for you or is there real world proven fraud occurring?

That last I can see as a decent idea. Same day registration seems to me a mistake.

Only if you hate people being able to vote, DF.

I worked as an election inspector this year and spent the day registering voters. The requirements for proof of residency are actually much stiffer for same day than if you register 20+ days before the election since, in fact, you don't even need to prove your residency unlike for same day registration.

It was a reform intended to increase voter turn out. And it has, generally by at least 10% for a fall General Election. It is in place in all three states with the highest voter turn out in America - Wisconsin, Minnesota & Maine.

Is this all just hypothetical for you or is there real world proven fraud occurring?

I'd say more 'potential' than 'hypothetical'. That's why I floated the idea of provisional ballots. That would allow someone registering same-day to cast a vote, while still answering any fraud concerns. It would provide security without keeping people from voting.

What rubbish. We have computers and technology. Most ID and drivers licenses have magnetic strips on the back and ways of being validated that can be done instantly. The only reason to try any of the things you suggest is to disqualify voters and disenfranchise people.

It's been shown that voter turnout is higher in states with same-day registration. In both 2004 and 2006, turnout was anywhere from 10-12% higher in states with Election Day registration than in states that don't have it. Of course, as we saw this year, higher turnout hurts the GOP, so I can see why you wouldn't want that.

It's better if there is a week or two to run the name through the system, both to make things easier for the election judges and to ensure the person is who they say they are. I'm not talking about some sort of new and intrusive procedure, just normal vetting.

I'd settle for amending the same-day law to allow for the casting of a provisional ballot by those registering same day, since that would allow for the normal vetting. Would that be acceptable to you?

Considering that this has been going on in Wisconsin for 40+ years and it has not resulted in verifiable voter fraud? No, not it would not be acceptable.

Several days ago, when the Gaza missile action was ongoing and was the center of attention here, I raised as an example of how overlooked (by the American audience) so much of the world can be by raising the fire going on in a major slum in Bangladesh.

An official says firefighters have recovered 100 bodies after a fire raced through a multi-story garment factory just outside Bangladesh's capital.

Fire department Operations Director Maj. Mohammad Mahbub told The Associated Press that they recovered the bodies after the fire broke out late Saturday at the factory.

He says the factory, located just outside of Dhaka, was operated by Tazreen Fashions.

Many more people died in this fire than did from poorly aimed missiles raining down in Israel.

These kind of things happen all the time. What we take for granted here in the US - fire codes, on-call fire fighting and rescue - are luxuries that the poor in the world can't afford, all the while they produce the clothes for our backs.

Several days ago, when the Gaza missile action was ongoing and was the center of attention here, I raised as an example of how overlooked (by the American audience) so much of the world can be by raising the fire going on in a major slum in Bangladesh.

Many more people died in this fire than did from poorly aimed missiles raining down in Israel.

These kind of things happen all the time. What we take for granted here in the US - fire codes, on-call fire fighting and rescue - are luxuries that the poor in the world can't afford, all the while they produce the clothes for our backs.

These kind of things happen all the time. What we take for granted here in the US - fire codes, on-call fire fighting and rescue - are luxuries that the poor in the world can't afford, all the while they produce the clothes for our backs.

Thing is, I very much doubt that the sort of public shock and protest to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire will spring up in countries that rely upon such conditions to compete against other nations that operate industry under similar conditions. Gone are the days when people thought that industry should be profitable and safe.

Several days ago, when the Gaza missile action was ongoing and was the center of attention here, I raised as an example of how overlooked (by the American audience) so much of the world can be by raising the fire going on in a major slum in Bangladesh.

Many more people died in this fire than did from poorly aimed missiles raining down in Israel.

These kind of things happen all the time. What we take for granted here in the US - fire codes, on-call fire fighting and rescue - are luxuries that the poor in the world can't afford, all the while they produce the clothes for our backs.

Thing is, I very much doubt that the sort of public shock and protest to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire will spring up in countries that rely upon such conditions to compete against other nations that operate industry under similar conditions. Gone are the days when people thought that industry should be profitable and safe.

I would imagine the cost of actually safeprooing those environments so people don't die would suddenly make them less attractive financially.

I used to freelance at a marketing studio and actually had one of the owners bitch to me about the cost of adding fire alarms to the top floor where we production artists worked. Genuinely pissed off that protecting people was costing his family money.

This was in suburban Philadelphia. I can't imagine what it's like in India or China.

Also found on the front page of the New York Times: apparently Ke$ha's new album is leaning towards rock rather than pop. Slow news weekend, I guess.

Morsi seemed to think that his part in negotiating the ceasefire gave him some sort of political capital that he could use to essentially install himself as dictator, only that's being challenged in the streets and in the halls of power.

Several days ago, when the Gaza missile action was ongoing and was the center of attention here, I raised as an example of how overlooked (by the American audience) so much of the world can be by raising the fire going on in a major slum in Bangladesh.

Many more people died in this fire than did from poorly aimed missiles raining down in Israel.

These kind of things happen all the time. What we take for granted here in the US - fire codes, on-call fire fighting and rescue - are luxuries that the poor in the world can't afford, all the while they produce the clothes for our backs.

Misattributed to Stalin, but still:

"The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic."

"The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic."

Having thought about, though, much of the reason for Iron dome being used as much as it was had to do with the fact that the rockets Hamas used really were more accurate than their predecessors. And the increased use of Iron Dome may have had a hand in when the ceasefire was declared:

One factor Israel may have considered in agreeing to the recent cease fire with Hamas was a possible shortage of Tamir missiles (used by the Iron Dome system to shoot down rockets). The problem was that Israel was not sure how many long (over 20 kilometers) range rockets (that could reach larger urban areas) Hamas had left. Hamas had managed to fire about a thousand rockets in a week, with most of them hitting unoccupied areas or being intercepted by Tamir missiles. Israeli aircraft had made over a thousand bombing raids on Gaza, hitting hundreds of rocket storage sites. But the rockets appeared to be stored in small quantities all over the place, often in residential areas. Israel won’t say what their count was of Hamas rockets destroyed by air strikes but it was apparently less than the 12,000 rockets Hamas is supposed to have. Thus it was possible Israel faced the possibility of running out of Tamir missiles before Hamas ran out of long range rockets. That would mean dozens, or more, dead Israelis. At that point, Israel would have to send in ground troops to shut down Hamas rocket launches. That would also mean more dead Israelis. So, to be on the safe side….

Each of the five Iron Dome batteries has radar and control equipment and three or four missile launchers (each containing twenty missiles). Each battery costs about $40 million, which includes up to a hundred Tamir missiles (costing $40,000 each). In the two years before the recent conflict Iron Dome had fired nearly 200 Tamir missiles at rockets headed for populated areas. In the last week Iron Dome systems have fired over 400 more Tamir missiles. Israel never said how many Tamir missiles it has stockpiled, but the manufacturer of the Tamir admitted that, for most of November, the missile assembly line has been going round the clock. Now Israel knows how Iron Dome operates under heavy rocket fire and how many Tamir missiles would be needed to deal with a large scale attack. The Tamir production is likely to keep going on overtime for a while yet.

I've commented before on the amazing literal mindedness of many Lubbockites. This is a striking component of the local culture, noticeable enough that visitors will often comment on it, always negatively. Many of the locals do not seem to understand any form of metaphor, satire, or irony other than blatantly insulting sarcasm. Indeed, ironic or satirical statements are often assumed to be insulting when they are not, simply because they are heard but not understood and the worst is assumed.
A good example is a Facebook FOAF (friend of a friend) I will call Mike the Literal. Last week I commented about what I thought was the bias of the Fox sports crew covering the Texas Tech football game. I suggested a conspiracy theory in which the Red Raiders' terrible performance was the result of Fox operatives convincing the players they were actually appearing as the high school team in a TV comedy about a high school team that manages to get a game against a real college team. Mike the Literal proclaimed with great and sincere authority that this was wrong. He was not fooled at all. Today, before the Raider's similarly miserable performance against Baylor, a friend posted a picture of a 1930s vintage leather football helmet, painted red, and announced that TTU would be introducing new helmets for the game. Mike the Literal responded condescendingly that this was not the case unless they intended to change helmets after they ran onto the field. Again, he was not fooled.
Would it surprise anyone to hear that Mike the Literal is a fundamentalist and once attended Jerry Falwell's Liberty University? Lubbock is well known to be a fundy hotbed. I don't have definitive proof but I strongly suspect a correlation between fundamentalist beliefs and obtuse literalism in everyday life.

Fundamentalism is a blight on human minds in so many ways, and I do mean that literally.

If you are taught to take Scriptures literally, free of symbolism, irony metaphor or any other sort of literary devices, then you also learn to take anything else you read literally.

I live in a country full of people like that. Germans can enjoy a good joke as much as anyone else, but they get annoyed unless you tip them off in advance that you are telling them a joke or they will take often it entirely literally and get upset when they discover it was a joke (if they ever do...some people still haven't caught on I was joking.)

If you are taught to take Scriptures literally, free of symbolism, irony metaphor or any other sort of literary devices, then you also learn to take anything else you read literally.

I live in a country full of people like that. Germans can enjoy a good joke as much as anyone else, but they get annoyed unless you tip them off in advance that you are telling them a joke or they will take often it entirely literally and get upset when they discover it was a joke (if they ever do...some people still haven't caught on I was joking.)

Which explains why I've never visited Germany, besides the fact I've never had a reason to in the past either.

Always leaves me feeling like my lungs are clogged up and deadens my sense of smell.

I don't have a clogged nose or any chest congestion, and between anti-histamines and musinex, neither cleans me out, but for the next 3 or 4 months, I'll be coughing and hacking the majority of the day.

Man running from police hits bicyclist, wedges him under his ladder rack of his truck , keeps on driving.
[Link: www.timesunion.com...]
No, that is a picture of the driver, cyclist was killed. Whatever happened to just letting them run, this is stupid.

That's an incredibly bad article. The NY Post is really not a good place to go for fiscal reporting.

A future rise in bond rates will not affect the current bonds owned by any retirees. The article writer seems really confused on this point-- he directly asserts that principal falls when bond rates go up. This is completely false-- once you've bought a bond, the principal can't change.

I think what he misunderstood is that it'll be very hard to sell any of the current low-rate bonds, if rates go up, since they won't compare favorably. That doesn't change the actual principal, though.

That article looks like a hack job written by someone who hates government spending.

Do you understand that the principal of a bond can't be reduced once bought?

Man running from police hits bicyclist, wedges him under his ladder rack of his truck , keeps on driving.
[Link: www.timesunion.com...]
No, that is a picture of the driver, cyclist was killed. Whatever happened to just letting them run, this is stupid.

The cyclist was dead already, but the police couldn't have known that. With him wedged in there, they had to give chase to try to save him.

That's an incredibly bad article. The NY Post is really not a good place to go for fiscal reporting.

A future rise in bond rates will not affect the current bonds owned by any retirees. The article writer seems really confused on this point-- he directly asserts that principal falls when bond rates go up. This is completely false-- once you've bought a bond, the principal can't change.

I think what he misunderstood is that it'll be very hard to sell any of the current low-rate bonds, if rates go up, since they won't compare favorably. That doesn't change the actual principal, though.

That article looks like a hack job written by someone who hates government spending.

Do you understand that the principal of a bond can't be reduced once bought?

Not only hates government spending, but is too uninformed to make a good case against it. But I'm not surprised: The New York Post isn't the Wall Street Journal and I can easily see the Post deliberately running an article known to be bad in order to make a big DERPy splash and scare its readers.

The Wall Street Journal has fallen to the derp too, since Murdoch took it over.

Hey Dark, now that the GOP has lost the battle for the presidency and you don't need to immediately cheerlead with them, how the hell do you think the right-wing gets rid of the derpy Ayn Rand-style economics that has infected it, prompting stupid shit like cutting spending in the middle of a recession and pledging to never raise any taxes? I saw one guy is apparently standing up to Norquist-- but after so many years of right-wing media telling people that raising taxes is never good and government spending is always bad, how does the GOP climb out of the hole of fiscal stupidity and actually start having theories that interact with the real world again?

The yield and price of a bond are inversely related so that when market interest rates rise, bond prices fall and vice versa.

and

Nominal, principal, par or face amount — the amount on which the issuer pays interest, and which, most commonly, has to be repaid at the end of the term. Some structured bonds can have a redemption amount which is different from the face amount and can be linked to performance of particular assets such as a stock or commodity index, foreign exchange rate or a fund. This can result in an investor receiving less or more than his original investment at maturity.

The yield and price of a bond are inversely related so that when market interest rates rise, bond prices fall and vice versa.

and

Nominal, principal, par or face amount — the amount on which the issuer pays interest, and which, most commonly, has to be repaid at the end of the term. Some structured bonds can have a redemption amount which is different from the face amount and can be linked to performance of particular assets such as a stock or commodity index, foreign exchange rate or a fund. This can result in an investor receiving less or more than his original investment at maturity.

Operative phrase: "Some structured bonds". US Treasury Bonds do not fall into that category.

The yield and price of a bond are inversely related so that when market interest rates rise, bond prices fall and vice versa.

Yes. The price if you buy it. Not the price if you have already bought it. This is pretty easy to understand.

Today, I buy a $10,000 bond due to mature in ten years at a rate of 0% interest. Whoo.

Tomorrow the rates skyrocket up to 20%. Fuck. But you know what? My bond is still going to be worth $10,000 in ten years. The principal doesn't change. That is, in fact, the whole fucking point of bonds, really.

Dude, I don't get why you do this: You assert things that are totally untrue and then it takes like twenty fucking posts before you eventually admit you were wrong, and then you go on again.

And sure, there are corner cases of bonds that depend on foreign exchange rates. But the vast majority of bonds are government bonds, civic bonds, etc. etc. which are just simple, straightforward bonds. Those linked bonds aren't really true bonds, they use bond status but they're actually purposefully engaging in risk. The real investment there is in the foreign currency, or the commodity index, etc.

Happy Cyber Monday Sunday everyone...what the fuck? I saw someone post on facebook about Amazon starting a day early with great deals - Cyber Monday isn't about 'deals'...it's about people shopping from their offices instead of working.

Happy Cyber Monday Sunday everyone...what the fuck? I saw someone post on facebook about Amazon starting a day early with great deals - Cyber Monday isn't about 'deals'...it's about people shopping from their offices instead of working.

Nah, I drank responsibly as I had to drive home in the fog over Devil's slide.

Combining the words 'drive', 'fog' and 'Devil's slide' in one sentence is enough to keep most people sober...and while the view of the Pacific is gorgeous over Devil's slide...it's name is what makes it most frightening - and the sensors along the section of road that gets wiped out every few years 400 feet above the water. They've built a tunnel to bypass this section of road, but it still hasn't opened. Hopefully next month.

You are exactly right. You locked up your cash for ten years and got nada. You much could you buy ten years ago compared today? I know, inflation doesn't exist, so you are exactly right.

Yeah, dodge behind that. That's clearly not what the article is saying-- and inflation, while definitely the trend of the modern day, is not a certainty. Deflation can, and has, occurred, so your bond would then make more money.

Look, you posted a stupid article that asserted that the principal of already-bought bonds would be devalued by a rise in interest rates. This isn't true for anything other than a tiny segment of the bond market, and certainly not true for US government, state, and civic bonds.

Hey, maybe this'd be a good time for you to explain how the 'best value' bidding used by New York State doesn't take into account price, as you asserted the other day.

You are exactly right. You locked up your cash for ten years and got nada. You much could you buy ten years ago compared today? I know, inflation doesn't exist, so you are exactly right.

You are missing the point, sir. Had he bought that same bond yield, but at a 2% rate of return, he would have spent less but still been paid the same amount of money. Thus, the concerns the article you linked to are not really valid because US Treasury bonds are purchased with a fixed yield upon maturation. Just admit that and step back.

I have no idea what you or the Koskid are fantasizing about but the comments are discussing arming the public against Romney? It's a bit early in the morning for violent fantasies but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Given that pretty much the entirety of the right-wing has asserted red-facedly for the past eight years that cutting taxes and spending is always good, how does the GOP regain any sense of fiscal responsibility? How do they admit they were wrong?

It's easy to see how they got into this mess, it's harder to see a way out for them.

I have no idea what you or the Koskid are fantasizing about but the comments are discussing arming the public against Romney? It's a bit early in the morning for violent fantasies but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Please point out the comments discussing arming the public against Romney.

It must be early in the morning, because you fantasized comments that don't exist.

Militants bombed security bases being built in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, injuring three people, authorities said, as the state tries to reassert control over territory that slipped from its grip after the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

A massive explosion partly destroyed the wall of a security base being built for border guards in the town of Rafah at the border with the Gaza Strip overnight, but without causing injuries.

Further south, three workers were injured by a separate blast that damaged a compound being built in Quseima for a different security agency responsible for guarding a pipeline that exports gas to Jordan, security sources said.

Hardline Islamist militant groups have expanded into a vacuum left by the collapse of state control in North Sinai during the uprising that overthrew Mubarak in February, 2011.

FOX HOST: You say that you will do everything in your power to block Susan Rice’s nomination if the President decides to name her to be secretary of state . . . . Is there anything that Ambassador Rice can do to change your mind?

MCCAIN: Sure, she can give everyone the benefit of explaining their position and the actions that they took. And I’ll be glad to have the opportunity to discuss these issues with her. Why did she say that al Qaeda has been decimated in her statement here on this program? Al Qaeda hasn’t been decimated. They’re on the rise. They’re all over Iraq.

Bin Laden's dead, fucktard. Al Qaeda's influence is way down globally...including in Iraq.

Given that pretty much the entirety of the right-wing has asserted red-facedly for the past eight years that cutting taxes and spending is always good, how does the GOP regain any sense of fiscal responsibility? How do they admit they were wrong?

It's easy to see how they got into this mess, it's harder to see a way out for them.

C'mon...you were taking jabs at Mitt Romney yourself last week. Admit it, it felt good. Just be honest. How does the GOP regain its fiscal responsibility credibility? IT DOESN'T! Taxes go up, the economy improves, and thirty years of Republican talking points go down the toilet. Unless, of course, you tie any economic improvements to delayed reaction to the Bush tax cuts after they're gone...that's the ticket.

Bin Laden's death did less than you think. And Al Qaeda isn't as on the ropes as you might believe, especially in North Africa.

Did you downding me for calling John McCain' a fucktard? You're so sweet.

John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard. John McCain's a fucktard.

Saying it won't make it true. John McCain is actually very smart. Idiots are not allowed to become naval aviators (and don't bring up George W. Bush. He was in the Air National Guard, which is different from a front line carrier air wing).

I don't think anyone in the GOP is. I don't think anyone has anything approaching a plan to get the crazy out.

What bugs me is how much this should have been seen coming. For years and years, the GOP could see the extremism ramping up and ramping up, but they decided it was good for winning elections so they ignored it and then outright fostered it. Now they are fully committed to an anti-reality, anti-science platform that's also weighed down by being racially and religiously exclusionary.

It's just too bad they've done so much damage to the country along the way, or seeing exactly what was predicted for them come true might be a little satisfying.

Saying it won't make it true. John McCain is actually very smart. Idiots are not allowed to become naval aviators (and don't bring up George W. Bush. He was in the Air National Guard, which is different from a front line carrier air wing).

John McCain is a fucking idiot who attacks women who threaten him with their intelligence...and there's a great diary on this very topic this morning at dKos...I suggest you go read it.

Here's the thing: Obdicut is pretty good economically, so I'm not going to weigh in with on such a major topic until I've put my own talking point together on the matter and run them a couple people.

You're just afraid he's going to beat you over the head with facts until you're left in a bloody heap on the ground. And he will. He likes berating people who use empty talking points as evidence. Just respond to him and get it over with, already. Or run your talking points by Grover Norquist first...he'll tell you you're right. Then come back and have Obdicut hand your ass to you on a platter.

Me, I'd rather fight and lose and internet argument than hide from one due to lack of confidence in my own knowledge. How will I ever learn from others if I do that?

It's just too bad they've done so much damage to the country along the way, or seeing exactly what was predicted for them come true might be a little satisfying.

It's just a flesh wound. Yeah, they've managed to inhibit growth and block progress, but they haven't stalled it completely. Now, if they just get out of the way a little - I'm not even asking them to help the president, just stop trying to sabotage him is help enough - the country will recover faster than people imagine, because growth begets growth and confidence begets confidence, and once people realize they aren't powerless to help themselves, they will. That includes teabaggers.

DF, I have to give you credit for sticking to your viewpoints around here and being unafraid to defend them. Obviously you know you're in the minority on this site but you've stuck around and that's good to see.

I also like the fact that even though there's been some backlash over some of the things you've posted, for the most part responses to you have been civil and not devolved into insults/flame war territory.

I don't think anyone in the GOP is. I don't think anyone has anything approaching a plan to get the crazy out.

What bugs me is how much this should have been seen coming. For years and years, the GOP could see the extremism ramping up and ramping up, but they decided it was good for winning elections so they ignored it and then outright fostered it. Now they are fully committed to an anti-reality, anti-science platform that's also weighed down by being racially and religiously exclusionary.

It's just too bad they've done so much damage to the country along the way, or seeing exactly what was predicted for them come true might be a little satisfying.

I really don't think the GOP will get it together until sometime after Obama leaves office. Hopefully by then the ODS will be less relevant and Republicans can refocus their efforts somewhere more productive.

They could start with a bit of a throwback
"deficits don't matter" which lets the government spend and "grow out of the deficit" which in part is what happened in the '90s. Taxes went up and with spending cuts as part of the deal. Throw in one good tech boom and we had a balanced budget.

We know how to tax, and how to limit spending to what we need to do. What is impossible for the government to replicate is the boom. That will come from the private sector. just as the tech boom did.

1. Better to prepared and have your own facts to counter your adversary than to charge in DERPily and get crushed.

2. You know my feelings on Grover Norquist. To imply I'd run something by him is trolling.

Okay, I take back the Grover bit. What facts do you not have that you're going to get? If you think Paul Ryan is the answer, say it. If you think the GOP is kind of fucked right now, admit it. The only way they're going to heal themselves from this idiocy is if they admit they don't have all the answers.

Good morning Lizards! Watching all the talk shows this morning, Newspapers flung everywhere, Still in bed, Sharing the leftovers with Winston and keeping the ice coffee to myself..
Ken Burns is on Meet the Press, He is awesome

McCain, because of what he endured 45 years ago, is permitted more than three strikes. But how many more? In 2008, he foisted Sarah Palin upon an unsuspecting nation. After losing that race, he then turned his back on legislating as he faced a primary challenge from his right in 2010, switching from being one of the few senators who actually took his work seriously enough to try to be a leader on compromise to becoming one of the body’s chief obstructionists and windbags across a range of issues. And now, 2012, has found him slandering his country’s ambassador to the United Nations on the basis of no evidence, creating circumstances that have forced U.S. intelligence agencies to defend their usually private methods in public, and of course laid the groundwork for future and wholly spurious impeachment proceedings. So this last one alone is three strikes, plus probably a couple others I’m not remembering.

The problem is that we need to do a ton of stuff to combat AGW, and it's going to require a very high level of government spending. We're starting from this "All government spending is bad and evil" position the GOP has wedged us in, and we have to go a long way just to get to the normal of "Government spending can be a very good thing for the economy, and it's needed for those things which the private market can't provide for well, like health insurance and flood insurance." Then we have to get from there to "Spend hugely on R&D for anti-AGW stuff and for adaptation to the new high temperatures".

I suspect that it may wind up that the armed forces are what most effectively work on this, since they're the largest command part of our economy and they mostly understand how fucking terrible AGW is going to be from every perspective.

"Attention Sav-Mart shoppers, we are pleased to report that on Black Friday this year there were no shots fired in the store. I repeat there were ZERO shots fired in the store. I mean I know we have a few blood brawls and a trampling but still, no bullets! Good job everybody!"

1. McCain didn't know Sarah Palin was that dumb or that she'd keep going after 2008.

2. In 2010 he did what he had to do. For him to have tried to focus on legislating would have simply been scurrying around waiting for the ax to fall. He needed to move right to fend off J.D. Heyworth and he did so.

It's not just the government, even if it did not cost a thing, GOP fundamentalists do not like the concept of government telling Free Enterprise what to do at any level, because they believe that FE can do everything better and more efficiently.

Might we agree the Tea Party has been the big net negative that dragged the GOP too far right?

I really do believe it was the election of Barack Obama that started the whole thing in motion or, at the very least, infused with a shot of momentum the likes of which had not been seen in a very long time.

I think, honestly, what it would really take is the religious organizations that form so much of the core of the GOP ceasing their war with the government, accepiting separation of church and state, and urging their followers to support charity through the government.

However, the churches are headed mostly in the opposite direction, what with their increased violations of their non-profit status and political campaigning against gay marriage and the like.

Might we agree the Tea Party has been the big net negative that dragged the GOP too far right?

IMHO, the tea party was more of a symptom than a cause. I think in large part it was a Koch-fueled attempt to make the Republicans more 'fiscally conservative' in a Libertarian way. I don't think the tea party was out to make the Republicans more socially conservative, but the so-cons saw an opportunity not to be missed to jump on and fight for inclusion, or be left behind.

It was one of the best round tables on MTP. Very powerful, Spoke about the movie Lincoln as it applies to today. Ken and Al Sharpton spoke about Race issues. Powerful and grown up discussions

You ever watch the documentary "Street Fight?" Good doc. It's about Cory Booker's run against Sharpe James for mayor of Newark. James employed some brutal and highly suspect tactics in which the Newark FD and PD were involved. Eventually in later years Booker was triumphant. James eventually served 18 months in prison for something unrelated. Al Sharpton supported Sharpe James.

You ever watch the documentary "Street Fight?" Good doc. It's about Cory Booker's run against Sharpe James for mayor of Newark. James employed some brutal and highly suspect tactics in which the Newark FD and PD were involved. Eventually in later years Booker was triumphant. James eventually served 18 months in prison for something unrelated. Al Sharpton supported Sharpe James.

During his unsuccessful campaign for mayor in 2002, the powerful incumbent, Sharpe James, described him [Cory Booker] — though they are both African-American Democrats — as Jewish, gay, a Republican and a proxy for the Ku Klux Klan.

Political observers see the leaflets as evidence that Mr. Booker’s supporters will not stand by as their man is mauled again. But they wonder if Mr. Booker, a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School, or his supporters have gone too far.

“That’s where they are now,” said Hiver Ambrose, who was an aide to Mr. Booker in 2002. “ No more soft college boy: ‘Now I’m in your face, I’m Newark.’ When we were there, I was as much an advocate of him just being a little bit stronger, but this is not what I had in mind. What I had in mind was being genuinely offended when Sharpe called you a Jewish gay boy, not playing Sharpe’s game.”

C'mon...you were taking jabs at Mitt Romney yourself last week. Admit it, it felt good. Just be honest. How does the GOP regain its fiscal responsibility credibility? IT DOESN'T! Taxes go up, the economy improves, and thirty years of Republican talking points go down the toilet. Unless, of course, you tie any economic improvements to delayed reaction to the Bush tax cuts after they're gone...that's the ticket.

The GOP fucked themselves when they agreed to sequestration as part of the last debt limit rise. They can't win now...

1. The GOP caves and agrees to raise taxes to avoid the "fiscal cliff," the republicans get crucified by their base for breaking the tax pledge. Obama gets what he wants, while TeaParty challengers to GOP incumbents in the 2014 primaries have a field day with their ads against the "Pledge breakers." Some incumbents lose their primaries allowing the Dems to win against the new (weaker) far right candidates and pick up some of their seats in the general elections.

OR

2. The GOP stands firm on taxes and Obama walks away from the table, we get to Jan. 1st and all the Bush tax cuts expire while sequestration kicks in with automatic budget cuts. Obama still gets his tax increase on the top earners while the GOP gets the blame for causing everyone elses taxes to increase too. The GOP tries to spin it as the Dems fault but while most voters are dumb they aren't that dumb, it will be seen by most as more obstruction by the party of NO. The GOP takes it in the shorts in 2014 for stalling the economy and placing their idiotic "starve the beast" pledge over the good of the country.

Obama was playing the "long game" during the last negotiations to raise the debt ceiling and the GOP walked right into it. Obama can go play golf right now and laugh as the GOP struggles to figure a way out of the spot they helped him to put them in.

is one of scores of bunkers across Gaza. Some have been dug out under the houses of Hamas sympathisers; others stretch 30m below open ground, linked to a network of supply tunnels.
....
The technical skills needed to wage war from underground were learned during excursions to Lebanon to meet Hezbollah, which maintains much larger facilities, from catering outfits to operating theatres, beneath hillsides with dormitories where its fighters can sleep safely.

But Hamas's weapons were supplied by Iran and stockpiled after the last Israeli attack in 2008-09. The full extent of Iran's backing for Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group was confirmed in interviews with senior members.

Khaled al-Batsh, the leader of Islamic Jihad, said Iranian support for both organisations extended from cash and military training in unspecified countries to rockets, communications and even advice on media relations.

Abu Ahmad, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad's military wing, Saraya al-Quds, said it had fired 620 rockets in all, of which 300 were Russian Grads, some modified by Iran. "Some of the weapons we carry in our stockpiles are 100 per cent Iranian-made, such as the Fajr 5 (long-range rockets) and Kornets (laser-guided anti-tank missiles)," he said.

Hamas's military wing said it had fired 1573 rockets into Israel, including four Fajr rockets targeting Tel Aviv.

Yep. So I'm having a little trouble seeing "where Republicans failed." Sure, they failed for the POTUS run but things are far from over with Republican control of DC and states. Then you have Democrat governors like the one in Kentucky signing off on a Noah's Arc museum with state funding and Colorado's John Hickenlooper being against sick days for non-state employees (which failed) and also being against the recently passed marijuana law (which remains largely symbolic). That is to say many of the Democrats are close to being Republicans themselves.

Yep. So I'm having a little trouble seeing "where Republicans failed." Sure, they failed for the POTUS run but things are far from over with Republican control of DC and states. Then you have Democrat governors like the one in Kentucky signing off on a Noah's Arc museum with state funding and Colorado's John Hickenlooper being against sick days for non-state employees (which failed) and also being against the recently passed marijuana law (which remains largely symbolic). That is to say many of the Democrats are close to being Republicans themselves.

I just checked in and priced the pile of tires from my big Black Friday purchase. I can double my investment on the tires alone. And that's not counting the weird sizes that I'll never sell. Now I have to rearrange all my tires to fit these in, then check in 5 or six boxes of other goodies.

All kidding aside, you do NOT mess around with weather like that. If you need to go outside, bundle up well and limit your time outdoors to as short as possible. In conditions that cold, you can start to develop frostbite EXTREMELY fast.

The best part about having Flash not working on this computer is that there's no such thing as auto play anymore.

It's rather irresponsible of them considering that not everybody is using an unlimited monthly broadband or DSL line. Many are using data plans. I switch between the two and the limit on my AT&T card is 5 GB per month.

I have no idea what you or the Koskid are fantasizing about but the comments are discussing arming the public against Romney? It's a bit early in the morning for violent fantasies but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Yeah it's so much different then all the wingnuts wanting to arm themselves against Obama.

Based upon a clear understanding of God's educational mandate to parents, and the thoroughly documented description of the inescapably anti-Christian thrust of any governmental school system and the inevitable results.

Make a bold statement this year – and every year. This permanent yet removable bumper sticker measures 15 by 3 3/4 inches. It's perfect not only for your car, but for your refrigerator, file cabinet – any surface that you would like to make a statement.

But otherwise, unless you somehow don't know where you are, an ordinary compass would do. If you're in the US and a Jew praying, you just face East. Apparently God isn't that picky.

There's some atoll in the middle of the Pacific that's the farthest point away from Mecca; a Muslim there could pray in any direction and be cool. Though I have no idea if Muslims require more exactitude in their prayer-direction than Jews do.

Fun fact: If you were in Stockholm, this compass would also point in the direction of Mecca.

But otherwise, unless you somehow don't know where you are, an ordinary compass would do. If you're in the US and a Jew praying, you just face East. Apparently God isn't that picky.

There's some atoll in the middle of the Pacific that's the farthest point away from Mecca; a Muslim there could pray in any direction and be cool. Though I have no idea if Muslims require more exactitude in their prayer-direction than Jews do.

Fun fact: If you were in Stockholm, this compass would also point in the direction of Mecca.

It's at WND so I'm assuming this is for a bunch of hunkered down gentiles and has some end-times meaning behind its purchase.

I just read the description. It's even dumber: You have to already know where you are in order to set it. So what the hell is the point? If you're in London, how hard is it to figure out that Jerusalem is South-East?

Hilarious search results for "science" at the WND Superstore. They have "A Shot of Faith to the Head: Be a Confident Believer in an Age of Cranky Atheists (Paperback)" mixed in with a whole bunch of books by Ayn Rand.

"Icons of Evolution": For decades, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution has been taught in classrooms as more than just a "theory" – it's been taught and accepted by mainstream educators as fact. But now, new scientific evidence is emerging that places Darwin's theory under closer scrutiny than ever before. These scientific critics of Darwin claim that many famous "icons" of evolution – including Darwin's "Tree of Life," the Galapagos Island finches and embryos that look remarkably similar – are based on outdated research and faulty logic. For anyone desiring to discover the evidence and weigh it independently, "Icons of Evolution" is essential and enlightening viewing.

In Six Days : Why Fifty Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation - (Paperback)

By John F. Ashton, Ph.D.

Product Description

Science can neither prove nor disprove evolution any more than it can creation. Certainly there are no human eyewitness accounts of either. However, certain factors are present today which are capable of swaying one’s beliefs one way or the other.

In this book are the testimonies of 50 men and women holding doctorates in a wide range of scientific fields who have been convinced by the evidence to believe in a literal six-day creation. For example, meet:

The geneticist who concludes that there must have been 150 billion forerunners of “modern man” in order for the natural selection required by evolution to have taken place in the development of man. The evidence for such vast numbers of “prehistoric man” is in dire shortage.

The orthodontist who discovered that European museum fossils of ancient man have been tampered with to adhere to evolution theories.

The geologist who studied under Stephen Jay Gould and literally cut the Bible to pieces before totally rejecting evolution.

All 50 of these scientists, through faith and scientific fact, have come to the conclusion that God’s Word is true and everything had its origin not so very long ago, in the beginning, "In Six Days."

But otherwise, unless you somehow don't know where you are, an ordinary compass would do. If you're in the US and a Jew praying, you just face East. Apparently God isn't that picky.

There's some atoll in the middle of the Pacific that's the farthest point away from Mecca; a Muslim there could pray in any direction and be cool. Though I have no idea if Muslims require more exactitude in their prayer-direction than Jews do.

We're supposed to try to be as accurate as possible, but if it can't be determined then your best guess or any direction is fine.

The supposed endgame behind the whole "starve the beast" plan was to end up creating a crisis that would force the elimination of Social Security and Medicare.

Those two programs have long been a major thorn in the side of ideological conservatives because they refute basic conservative dogma by...
1. Being government programs designed to help the entire population.
2. Actually working.
3. Being tremendously popular.

These facts damage one of the primary tenets of conservatism, that government doesn't work, period. Why do you think they have also tried for plan "B" by their repeated plans and attempts to privatize both programs? Luckily for us those plans have always failed, at least so far.

By purposefully being fiscally irresponsible by lowering taxes while increasing government spending over 30 years the GOP has sent both the debt and the deficit skyrocketing. Their problem is that now that they finally have the "crisis" they have been trying to engineer, they lack enough public support to follow through. The overwhelming majority of the population wants to keep SS and Medicare going, even exits polls in this election confirmed that.

Those same polls and others have also shown that most people understand that a combination of both spending cuts and increased revenues via higher taxes is necessary. Not only to try to shore up the viability of the social programs but to avoid more damage to our credit rating and ultimately a possible default on our debt.

The funny part is that by agreeing to sequestration the GOP has now painted itself into a corner where taxes will go up no matter what happens. I don't see how they can spin this into a win politically even with their PR machine cranked up to 11. As I said upthread, Obama simply outplayed them in the "long game." The Dems planned for this at the last debt ceiling negotiations while the Republicans failed to think it all the way through.

Personally I am going to stock up on a lot of popcorn because we are about to see four weeks worth of crying, whining, and hand wringing by the GOP. Regardless of what happens during those weeks the deficit will end up being reduced and the Republicans are not likely to get much of the credit for doing so. Who knows, maybe instead of simply using it as a slogan the Republicans will finally see the need to actually become a fiscally responsible party in the end?

Heh, I've been using that site for years to get & print my prayer times for each month. It's very helpful.

You buy an "Islamic" compass, which is just a regular compass that has some Arabic/Islamic decoration on it and comes with a little booklet of cities with numbers next to them so you can determine the direction of Mecca, like this.

There are some prayer rugs that have compasses embedded on them, but they're almost always those awful, cheap, garishly colored ones. *shudder* Anyway, unless you're moving around all day praying in different places, you don't need it.